Beach Love

It’s been a while since we had a really great vacation. Even last year’s beach trip was good, but hard with the weight of Everett’s open heart surgery looming over everyone. We’ve also become quite the homebodies and none of us like to be away from home for too long so that always makes a trip kind of tricky as well. Josh Kelley and I have talked many times how this was such a good trip for our whole family. We had fun. We smiled. We fought less. We laughed. We relaxed and rested. It’s been a very long time since we’ve rested. It was an extraordinarily good trip for us.

Every morning we had slow mornings and breakfast and then hit the beach. We played and dug in the sand and buried one another and made moats and sandcastles and drip castles. We threw football and ate snacks and caught jellyfish, little minnows and crabs and collected seashells. The kids had an absolute blast.

Leo loved every single bit of the beach. We weren’t sure if he’d be down for the sand, but the boy loves the water and he was a fan of both the sand and the ocean. He played his little heart out and crashed every day at lunch…mid eating. He loved being in the ocean with Josh…so many sweet smiles and precious time with him. Leo is just a joy!

One day on the beach there was a large pelican just hanging out. Josh and another dad on the beach figured out the pelican actually couldn’t fly because it was wrapped up in deep sea fishing wire. They ended up pulling a full on rescue while the beach looked on. It was quite dramatic and fantastic and hilarious watching these two men take on this giant pelican while it snapped it’s massive beak at them. In the end the guys had victory over the fishing wire with the help of a beach towel, some strong arms and a pair of scissors. I laughed so hard watching strangers after the whole ordeal was over and the pelican was freed, shake their hands, congratulate them and give them keys to the city. They were beach heroes. And I got zero documentation…ZERO… of the whole thing because I was just as roped in as the next beach stranger, but also simultaneously wrangling kids and helping Harper get the other dad’s keys which dropped into the ocean during the commotion. I feel like I will be telling our grandkids this story.

After lunch each day Leo would nap and Josh and I would take turns taking the rest of the gang to the pool. Our kids could not love to swim more. They are like freakin’ fish. They just swim and swim and swim. After Leo woke up we’d all go back to the beach. And before dinner we’d go back to the pool. It was pretty hilarious, but they lived it up and come dinner each night we were unsure how they were all still awake.

Three of my favorite things about vacation were as follows:

1. Fruit Loops for breakfast each morning. We do not buy fun cereals simply because I would eat them all every single day. Fun cereals are my weakness and Fruit Loops are my absolute favorite. I have zero willpower and when on vacation I treated myself every morning and some afternoons. 🙂

2. King size bed + sleeping in each morning. Gah!!!! I feel like I’ve been living in a constant state of exhaustion for a full year now and a giant comfy bed plus sleep was crazy nice.

Bonus: A giant bed meant there was way more room for kiddos to pile in for TV watching. My mom always let me pile into her bed with her and our kids do the same for shows and early morning chats.

And 3. Netflix. Oh.My.Word. I mean, we just didn’t really know what we were missing out on. It’s like a whole new world. We binge watched Flaked with Will Arnett…LOVED!!!!!

Laura Kelley Fun Fact #717: If I had to choose the actor who would play Josh Kelley if a movie was ever made about his life I would pick Will Arnett. There are just soooooo many similarities and I wouldn’t mind making out with him. Like, at all. 🙂

We also watched several episodes of Queer Eye and every show had me laughing and crying. Just so insanely great!!! Once back home from vacation we quickly took advantage of Netflix’s 30 day free trial and we still have 2 weeks left. All the hallelujahs. If you’ve got a favorite show do tell. We’d love some recommendations for our remaining two weeks. We’re currently watching House of Cards and White Collar…thanks Marcie!!

So vaction recap: It was the best vacation we’ve had in who knows how long. We had fun and felt lighter and we even drove all the way home still happy. It was a vacation miracle. Here’s to you, Alabama beaches. You were just what we needed.

Oh boy! We love ourselves some Netflix binges. The Crown, Stranger Things, All of the Marvel Shows ( Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, The Defenders. We hated Iron Fist, so take it as you will. 🙂 I personally have watched and rewatched Gilmore Girls, Parenthood and Pretty Little Liars several times. Netflix is something we probably will never give up on! 10 dollars a month for streaming is a good fit for our budget. My kids love Spirit, ALL the Power Rangers, Coco, Captain Underpants, And as a family we are obsessed with Troll Hunters!

What a Fun post, Laura! Will Arnett, huh?!! Cracked me up. And, can I just say how Hudson is THE cutest kid? He is just beautiful or handsome, depending on which he prefers. All of you are looking so very relaxed. An answer to my many prayers. Enjoy the rest of your summer. And, hug those kids for me. Love you – Jo

Netflix: Jane the Virgin (it’s over the top telanovella but that’s why I love it), The Crown, comedy specials out the wazoo – you could even watch Ryan Hamilton Happy Face with Harper, My Little Pony and Friends for the kids, Grace and Frankie, My Next Guest Needs no introduciton with Dave Letterman, Father Brown and so many good documentaries to browse through (latest I watched was All the Queen’s Horses).
You guys are awesome vacationers – we suck at all parts of it. Good for you making a vacation what it should be: a vacation from the hard of your normal life!

The Crown
Stranger Things
Grace & Frankie (SO FUNNY!)
My Next Guest Needs No Introduction
Pretty Little Liars
Thirteen Reasons Why (this one is intense, but I consider it a must)
Orange is the New Black (Adults ONLY!, of course)